Union organized Labor Day events in several Iowa cities are being canceled because of the pandemic.

The Hawkeye Area Labor Council has voted to cancel all Labor Day events in Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, Iowa City, Marshalltown, and Mason City. Rick Moyle, executive director of the Hawkeye Area Labor Council, issued a written statement, saying with Covid case numbers sadly rising, the group knows it has a responsibility to do the right thing and does not want to contribute to the spread of what he referred to as “this evil virus.”

According to the Iowa Federation of Labor’s website, the annual Labor Day observances organized by union members also have been cancelled in Clinton, Des Moines and the Quad Cities.

The annual Labor Day parade will go on as scheduled in Dubuque, but the Dubuque Federation of Labor has cancelled its Labor Day picnic.